Maybe whiteflies...Maybe Not?  Help

I purchased my Mallsai just before the onset of winter in Rochester NY. I have lost many leaves, which for a Ficas is expected form what I have read. The problem I am having is with what I thought were whiteflies "burrowing" under the top layer of soil (1/8 of an inch or so) which assumed would not be very good for the root system for I imagine that must be what they feed off of. The more reading I have done, the less I think that they are indeed whiteflies. They are more or less (probably less) than the size of a flee and without careful examination would go un-noticed. They are a beigey white color and appear to have wings though even when disturbed do not fly...just skitter to find a place to hide. Per an article, I vacuumed off the top 1/4 inch of soil and replaced and will hit it with a little bug juice later today but figured I SHOULD find out what these buggies are for future reference.

Additionaly, I do have what appears to be very thin webs in various areas of the plant which would typically indicate spider mites?? Yet I do not see any...are they that small?? Or could these just be here from when I got the plant as they were there when I purchased it. Will taking a cotton swab with a little alcohol solve that problem? How can I be sure the mites are gone?

Thanks in advance for the help!!!

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TreeBay

Hi there JPicciano

Yes, spider mites are usually too small to see. You can flick a branch over a sheet of white paper and dislodge a few, which may appear as little black specks on the paper. Rubbing with a fingertip would leave red streaks. You can see some details on mites in the thread above or in bonsaiTALK Links under Pests & Disease, but they do dislike misting, so you could mist a few times a day.

I don't think the alcohol technique would be good for the tree, but if you'd like to try it just do one small branch and see what happens. It tends to pull moisture out of the leaves, if I remember correctly.

There are larvae of various beetles, gnats and fruitflies that might be hanging out in the soil. Maybe Moni has some idea what these particular ones could be. In my experience, their appearance is generally indicative of poor soil quality or overwatering. In an outdoor environment, most of these bugs would leave for greener pastures, but indoors it's the only game in town.

in the mean time, check here:

http://www.memobug.com/treebay/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB.cgi?board=pests&action=display&num=1009477204

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Moni

JPicciano,
When I first started to read your problem I was thinking fungus gnats again. But, they aren't beige colored. I'm stumped but I'll see what I can find. Definitely do not use alcohol. I agree with Matt on the spider mites. You might try insecticidal soap. It should help both problems. A daily misting also can help prevent the mite problem. They hate humidity. They get sick and die in humidity. But try the insecticidal soap, too. Read the label for how often.
Moni